any of various flatfishes including some marine food fishes: esp Platichthys flesus
[Middle English from Old French flondre, of Scandinavian origin]
flounder2verb intrans (floundered, floundering)
to stagger or thrash about ineffectually in soft mud or water, trying to maintain one's footing or keep from drowning
to behave or speak in a blundering or incompetent way, as a result of being at a loss
floundernoun
[prob alteration of founder3, influenced by blunder1 or flounder1]
flounderorfounder? Flounder means to struggle to move (floundering in the mud); founder when referring to a ship means ‘to sink’ and when referring to an animal means ‘to go lame’. In their extended senses, founder these two words are sometimes confused, but it is helpful to maintain the following distinctions: Founder implies complete failure: The plans foundered after attempts to raise money failed; while someone who flounders is struggling awkwardly: flounder through a speech